Kerry Group qualified for the Munster Junior Hurling semi-final after withstanding a strong second half comeback from Zimmer to record a good victory at UL on Thursday night.

Cathal O'Connell opened the scoring for Zimmer inside the first minute with a point. Seamus Flanagan leveled the match on 2 minutes with a pointed free and then put Kerry Group in front with another pointed free on 3 minutes. Gerry Coote tied up the scores again with a good point from out near the sideline. A long clearance from Domhnall O'Donovan from his own half went all the way to the Zimmer net on 5 minutes and Kerry Group were 3 points in front. Luke Hanley scored a fine point from his own half after 6 minutes to increase the lead to 4 points. Oisin Hickey pulled a point back for Zimmer after 7 minutes. John F Reidy made it a 4 point game again with a point from center field. Ryan Hanley fired over a point on 12 minutes to stretch the lead to 5 points. Ben O'Gorman pulled a point back for Zimmer on 14 minutes. Gavin O'Mahony continued the long distance scoring for Kerry Group with a point from his own half on 17 minutes. Reidy made it a 6 point game on 18 minutes with another point from center field. Flanagan had the lead out to 7 points with a point on 19 minutes. Luke Hanley fired over another point from his own half on 21 minutes. Cathal O'Connell pulled a point back for Zimmer from a free on 23 minutes. Flanagan responded for Kerry Group with a point on 25 minutes. O'Mahony put 9 points between the sides with another long distance point on 27 minutes. Conor Deasy scored a point for Zimmer on 28 minutes but Derry McCarthy restored the 9 point lead for Kerry Group right on half time to leave it Kerry Group 1-12 Zimmer 0-6 at the break.

Zimmer started the second half well with a Ben O'Gorman point on 31 minutes. Cathal O'Connell was denied a goal by a great save from Richard Murphy on 32 minutes. Seamus Flanagan fired over a free for Kerry Group on 34 minutes. Points from Cathal O'Connell, Ben O'Gorman and Conor Deasy reduced the deficit to 6 points after 44 minutes. Flanagan increased the lead to 7 with a pointed free on 45 minutes. Gerry Coote had the margin back to 6 with a good point from a tight angle on 48 minutes. Murphy was called on to make another great save for Kerry Group on 51 minutes when he saved a shot from Oisin Hickey over the bar. Daniel Collum made it a 6 point game again with a point for Kerry Group on 54 minutes. Deasy scored a point for Zimmer on 56 minutes. Substitute David Hickey made it a 4 point game with a point on 57 minutes. It was game on with 2 minutes left when Gerry Coote got on the end of a long clearance from Nicky O'Connell and fired an unstoppable shot to the back of the Kerry Group net and there was now only one point between the teams. Flanagan won the puck out from Murphy and was fouled. He made no mistake from the free and the gap was out to 2 points. Cathal O'Connell reduced the deficit to one point again in injury time but try as they might in the closing stages Zimmer could not find an equalizer as Kerry Group held on for the victory and a place in the semi-final against Tipperary ETB.